"Don't get cocky—die already!"
Yami's taunting words had clearly enraged Tatsumaki.
Though she appeared like a little girl, Tatsumaki, who was nearing her thirties, had an explosive and prideful personality.
She didn't believe anyone in the world could defeat her.
Well, except for one person.
That man had saved her from the research facility when she was just a child.
The man known as Blast—currently the number one S-Class hero—whose whereabouts were long unknown.
As for anyone else, Tatsumaki couldn't care less. Even the man standing before her, whose origins were a mystery but whose power was undeniable, didn't faze her.
She was the Tornado of Terror!
"Watch me rip you to pieces!"
With a fierce shout, Tatsumaki unleashed a force capable of leveling cities.
Yami could feel the terrifying power emanating from her.
In the world of 'One Punch Man', Saitama wasn't the only one worthy of attention; many others held that same potential.
Underestimating anyone in the top 20 was a dangerous mistake.
The price for that could very well be your life.
"Yes, that's more like it. You're impressive!" Yami's lips curled into an arrogant, cocky grin.
In the next instant, Tatsumaki's telekinetic force crashed into him, a colossal power pressing from all sides as if to tear him apart.
The sheer intensity of the attack was exhilarating.
Even Yami, with all his strength, felt a sharp pain.
"Ah, this long-forgotten sensation… I haven't felt it in ages."
"Guess I'll forego Avalon and defeat you head-on."
Despite his obvious enjoyment of the pain, Yami wasn't a masochist. He murmured quietly to himself.
Suddenly, blazing flames and crackling thunder erupted from his body, shielding him from Tatsumaki's onslaught.
His unrestrained magic surged outward, and the mirrored space they were fighting in began to tremble under the pressure.
The sheer force of Yami's power was even more overwhelming than Tatsumaki's, enough to obliterate the world itself.
"This level of power is ridiculous," Artemis observed.
"What secret is Yami hiding? It's incredible to think a human could achieve this!"
"He's no weaker than the legendary heroes of old, right?" she continued, her eyes gleaming with awe.
For Hestia and Hephaestus, the shock was mutual. It was almost unbelievable that a human could possess such raw power.
No divine intervention, no blessings from the gods—this was all the result of his own training. He had forged strength powerful enough to reshape the earth.
Those rumors were true—humans, with their boundless potential, were the race of infinite possibilities.
You never knew what they'd surprise you with next, and that sense of anticipation was impossible to resist.
"But this isn't the time to marvel at that," Hephaestus reminded them.
"The mirrored space Yami created is starting to break apart. If it shatters, the force unleashed will annihilate the entire city outside.
"If that happens, countless innocent people will die. We have to act."
Hephaestus was the first to come to her senses, speaking of the consequence.
Hearing this, Artemis and Hestia both nodded lightly.
"It's a serious problem, but it's not something I can't handle," Artemis said with a confident smile.
With a simple wave of her hand, she released her divine power, reinforcing the weakening mirrored space at an unimaginable speed.
In an instant, the space—which had been on the verge of collapse from the clashing destructive forces—stabilized.
Artemis, who was better suited for battle than for this type of task, had poured all her strength into preventing disaster.
"It's done. We should be fine now."
"Let's enjoy Yami's fight. I can't wait to see more!" Artemis exclaimed with excitement.
With that, the three goddesses shifted their gaze back to the battlefield.
There, Yami stood, enveloped by two terrifying forces.
His body emitted a crimson magic, radiating heat like the sun itself, as if it intended to incinerate everything around him.
Even with her telekinetic shield, Tatsumaki frowned.
The sheer intensity of the environment was suffocating.
Could a human being really possess this level of destructive power?
What unnerved her even more was the thunder crackling around Yami's weapon. The pressure it exuded was overwhelming.
"To be honest, this is my first time unleashing this form."
"I hope you're worthy of it, Tatsumaki."
"Get ready, because I'm coming for you!" Yami's voice was calm, almost flat.
Now fully releasing the power of the 'Grace of the Sun,' he was clearly affected by the immense power, growing more arrogant by the second.
But it wasn't enough to cloud his judgment.
In a blink, Yami was right in front of Tatsumaki.
He moved faster than before, leaving her no time to react.
His flaming sword—'The Sword of Promised Victory'—slashed down hard, but was met by Tatsumaki's telekinetic barrier once again. The force behind it was so great that it even tried to repel the strike.
"Oh? Still resisting, are we?"
"Then try this!"
"Holy Sword: Prominence Slash!!!"
Yami's magic, compressed to its absolute limit, exploded in front of him.
Tatsumaki was caught in the devastating blast, her entire body sent flying like a meteor plummeting from the sky.